Fireflies.ai vs Riverside
Plans, free access, limits and intended use side by side, taken from each vendor’s own pages. No score and no winner: the facts show where the two differ.
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Free transcripts, paid speaker labels
- Free access
- Fireflies.ai: Free access
- Riverside: Free trial only
- Paid from
- Fireflies.ai: USD 10 per seat a month
- Riverside: USD 29 per month
- Plans listed
- Fireflies.ai: 4
- Riverside: 6
- Public API
- Fireflies.ai: Not confirmed
- Riverside: Yes
Where Fireflies.ai and Riverside differ
- AccessFireflies.ai offers free access, while Riverside offers a free trial only.
- Pricing checkSome prices or terms not confirmed for Fireflies.ai; prices confirmed for Riverside.
- PlansFireflies.ai lists 4 plans and Riverside lists 6.
Head to head
Each value from the tool’s profile and the vendor’s own pages
| Fireflies.ai | Fact | Riverside |
|---|---|---|
| Access and price | ||
| Free access availableFireflies Free · USD 0 | Free accessDiffers | Free trial onlyTranscription tool · USD 0 |
| USD 10 per seat a monthFireflies Pro · billed annually | Lowest listed paid plan | USD 29 per monthPro · billed monthly · or $24 per month, billed annually |
| Free $0; Pro $10 per seat a month, billed annually | Pricing model | Free transcription tool; plans from $24/month billed annually |
| 4 | Plans listedDiffers | 6 |
| Not confirmed | Public API | Yes |
| Not confirmed | Card to start | Required |
| Not confirmed | Open source | No |
| What it is for | ||
| Individuals and teams who want searchable meeting transcripts and action items | Built for | Transcribing and editing multi-track podcast and video recordings |
| Audio & voice | CategorySame | Audio & voice |
| Platforms |
|
| Works with |
|
| How current | ||
| Profile sources checked | ||
| Some prices or terms not confirmed · Oct 4, 2026 | Pricing checkDiffers | Prices confirmed · Sep 29, 2026 |
Official source check for both tools. No hands-on testing and no score: “Differs” marks a documented difference, not a better tool.
Plans and prices
Fireflies.ai
Some prices or terms not confirmed · Oct 4, 2026- Fireflies FreeUSD 0
- Fireflies ProUSD 10 per seat a monthbilled annually
- Fireflies BusinessUSD 19 per seat a monthbilled annually
- Fireflies EnterpriseUSD 39 per seat a monthannual only
Riverside
Prices confirmed · Sep 29, 2026- Transcription toolUSD 0no account needed
- Free trialUSD 0 for 14 dayscard required
- ProUSD 29 per monthbilled monthly · or $24 per month, billed annually
- GrowUSD 39 per monthbilled monthly · or $34 per month, billed annually
- WebinarUSD 99 per monthbilled monthly · or $79 per month, billed annually
Show 1 more plan
- BusinessCustom quote
Strengths and limits
Fireflies.ai
Strengths
- Real free plan: Free costs $0 with transcription, limited AI summaries, 20 AI credits, meeting search and the apps, so you can test before paying.
- Plenty of capture routes: Bot, Chrome extension, file upload, desktop and mobile apps cover live calls, recordings and in-person conversations.
- Stated security programme: The provider lists SOC 2 Type II and GDPR and says meeting content is not used for AI training; HIPAA and private storage sit on Enterprise.
Limits to plan around
- Export and video sit behind Pro: Video recording and downloading transcripts, summaries and recordings are listed under Pro, not Free.
- Small Free storage: Free keeps 400 minutes, under seven one-hour meetings, and the pricing page and help center disagree on whether that is per team or per user.
- Open sharing by default: New recap links default to teammates and anyone with the link, and meeting audio can include voice data some jurisdictions treat as biometric.
Riverside
Strengths
- Transcriber needs no account: Files can be uploaded and downloaded as TXT or SRT without signing up.
- Speaker labels from separate tracks: Each participant recorded on a separate track is labeled in the transcript.
- Transcript drives the edit: Text edits, captions and clips all work from the same transcript.
Limits to plan around
- No free plan: The official trial guide says the free plan was replaced by a 14-day trial that needs a card.
- Content may train Riverside models: The terms allow training on inputs and outputs; opting out is limited to Business agreements.
- Capped separate track downloads: Pro allows 15 hours of separate track downloads a month.
See both products
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Comparing tools from different categories is fine, and often useful — a writing assistant and a research tool solve different halves of the same job. The table will show you exactly where they diverge.
Questions about comparing tools
How does the comparison work?
Add two tools to the comparison tray from any tool card, then open this page. The table pulls each tool's verified plan details, platforms, strengths and limits from its profile, so both columns carry the same kind of evidence, with a separate source-check date for each tool.
Do you declare a winner?
No. The table sets two tools against each other on documented facts, not on a score. Which one wins depends on your task, your budget and your usage volume — three things we cannot see from here.
Why are some cells empty or marked unverified?
Because we could not confirm that detail on the vendor's own pages. Rather than filling the gap with a figure from elsewhere, we mark it and say why on the tool's profile.
Can I compare more than two tools?
Not at once. Two columns keep the differences readable and force a real decision. Remove either selected tool to replace it, or clear both to start a new pair.
Every figure in the table above comes from the linked profile, where the source and the verification date are listed. Browse all tools or read the editorial policy.